Method of and machine for making wire-glass.



. R. A. B. WALSH. .METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE GLASS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 2, 1907.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

v Jaw/2736* on the surface of the second layer,

.zind make a perfect weld. It has also been exposureto .atmospl'iere after being heated,

ROBERT A. WALSH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

METHOD OF AND MACHINE To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. B. WALSH, a citizen of the United State's,-res1d1ng at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain of and Machines for Making Wire-Glass, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had i .to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of different forms of apparatus which may be used in practicing my invention;

This invention relates to a new and useful 5 method of, and a machine for makingwire glass, and particularly wire glass in which E a plurality of layers are employed to form the ultimate sheet. The object of my invention is to produce 1 a sheet of wire glass having smooth brilliant surfaces, the wire of said sheet retaining its 1 original bright and new appearance after it has been embedded in the glass.

Inthe manufacture of wire glass, the tendency of the wire is to contract and draw the glass so as to produce an uneven or an irregular surface. It has been proposed, see for illustration the patent to Walsh No. 610,593, dated September 13, 1898, to cure these irregularities-by smoothing them down by. a finishing roller; but' this cannot always be successfully accomplished, because, while the finishing roller acts upon the elevations, it will not perfectly transfer the surplus glass to the depressions proposed, see for illustration the Schmertz reissue patent No. 12,443, dated January 30, 1906, to press the wire mesh into the top surface of a'first formed sheet or layer of glass and then spread a finishing layer or sheet of molten glass thereover. This method produces a better and smoother finish to the top surface-of the-sheet than the Walsh method first mentioned. In both of these methods, the wire, on account of its loses its bright and new appearance and looks black; in the finished in the c M 1 i n 1-: an a: racnmeitls inctnei tne were. between one two layers occurs principally in the plane of the wire, and as the wire Jsat places left free to draw this action is sometimes observed Specification of Letters Patent.

FOR MAKING WIRE-GLASS.

?atented Nov. 23, 1909.

Application filed December 2, 1907. Serial No. 404,848.

Briefly stated,the method herein described consists in first forming a layer or sheet of glass, then spreading a mass of molten glass over the upper surface of said layer to form a finishing coating therefor, and drawing a wire mesh into the mass of molten glass that is spread. over the upper surface of said layer, the wire mesh being completely covered as soon as it comes in contact with the molten glass so that it will not be exposed to atmosphere while in its heated condition, and accordingly it will preserve its bright and new appea :ance in the finished product.

It is obvious that my method can be practiced with various types of apparatus and I have herein shown two forms of a paratus for carrying out my method, that 111 Fig. 1 comprising a table 1 having a smooth surface roller 2 arranged above the upper surface thereof and adapted to cooperate with the table to form a mass of molten glass into a bottom layer, and a smoothsurface roller 3 arranged above the table at a dis tance equal to the thickness of the finished product and adapted to spread'a mass of molten glass over the upper surface of said 1 bottom layer to. form a finishing coatlng therefor, said apparatus also comprising a pair of tension rolls 4 which are so located relatively tothe roller 3 that the wire mesh which passes through said rolls will cut its way into the mass of molten glass which forms the finishing coating for the bottom layer at the same time said mass is being spread over the bottom layer.

In practicing my method with apparatus of, this description, a mass of molten glass 5 is dumped onto the table adjacent the roller 2 and the table is then moved in the direction of the arrow to cause said mass of.

molten glass to be formed into a bottom layer 6. When the front end of said layer reaches the roller3 a second mass of molten glass 7 is dumped onto said layer and a wire mesh 8 which passes through the tension rollst is interposed between said mass 7 and the upper surface of the bottom layer, the continued movement. of the table causing said mass to be spread over the bottom layer to form a finishing coating 9. The tension rolls 4L- cause the wire mesh to cut its way into the mass of molten glass 7 simultaneously with the operation of forming said mass into a finishing coating or top layer so that the Wire mesh will be compieteiy covered by glass while in its heated condition and thus be prevented from oxidition., Although Lhave previously stated that the table is moved longitudinally it will, of course, be understood that the table could be stationary and the rollers andtenwhat I claim as new by Letters Patent is;

' spread over the bottom sion rolls .be moved longitudinallyfthereof withoutdeparting from the spirit'of' my invention. y I In Fig, 2 I have shown another formof apparatus for practicing my method which is similar to the apparatus shown in'Fig. 1: except that the bottom layer.6 is formed betwe en s1nooth surface rolls 2 an'd 2.

Havlng thus I described my invention,

1. An apparatus for 'making ,w' "e glass, comprising means for forming a mass of molten glass into a bottom 1aye'r,,means for spreading a mass of molten glass over said bottom layer to form. a finishingcoating therefor," and means for drawing a wire mesh into the mass of Z molten glass which forms the finishing coating at the same time said mass is being spread over the bottom layer; substantially as described. I

2. An. apparatus for making wire glass, comprising .means for forming a bottom layer or sheet, means for spreading a mass of molten glass over saidsheet to form a finishing coating therefor, and tension devices for drawinga wire mesh into said mass as it is being spread over the bottom layer; substantially as described. I 3. An apparatus for making wire glass, comprising means for rolling a mass of molten glass into a bot-tom layer or sheet, a roller for spreading a mass of moltenglass over the upper surface of said sheet to form a finishing coating therefor, and tension rolls 'sodisposed relatively to said roller that a wire mesh is caused to cut its way into said mass ofmolten glass as it is being layer; substantially as described.

and desire to secure 411ml apparatus of the character described, comprising a table, a roller arranged above said table and adapted to cooperate therewith to form a mass of molten glass into a bottom layer, a second roller arranged 7 above the table at a distance equal to the thickness of the finished product for spreadinga mass of molten glass over the bottom 'layer, anditension devices for drawing the wire mesh into the mass of molten glass which is spread over the bottom layer; sub- I stantially as described.

5. The method of making Wire glass, 1

which. consists in forming a sheet or layer of glass, spreadinga mass of molten glass over the upper surface of said'sheet' or layer, and drawing a wire mesh'into said massas it is being pread' over the bottom layer;

layer to'form a finishing top layer, and simultaneously drawing a wire mesh into the underneath surface of said finishing top layer so that, it is completely covered; substantially as described.

7. The method of making wire glass,"

which consists in forminga sheet or layer of glass, arranging one end of. a wire mesh upon said layer, dumping amass of'molten,

glass upon the end of said wire mesh and spreading it over the upper surface of said sheet orlayer, and subjecting said wire mesh to tension so that it will cut its way into the mass of glass that is spread over the I pper surface of said layer; substantially as ,described. I v

' In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix'my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this twenty-sixth day of November 1907.

. v I ROBERT A. B. WALSH.- Witnesses: R R. CORNWALL,

GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

